Operating System Version

The Version API Helper functions are used to determine the version of the operating system that is currently running. For more information, see Getting the System Version.

The following table summarizes the most recent operating system version numbers.

Operating system	Version number
Windows 10	10.0*
Windows Server 2019	10.0*
Windows Server 2016	10.0*
Windows 8.1	6.3*
Windows Server 2012 R2	6.3*
Windows 8	6.2
Windows Server 2012	6.2
Windows 7	6.1
Windows Server 2008 R2	6.1
Windows Server 2008	6.0
Windows Vista	6.0
Windows Server 2003 R2	5.2
Windows Server 2003	5.2
Windows XP 64-Bit Edition	5.2
Windows XP	5.1
Windows 2000	5.0

* For applications that have been manifested for Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. Applications not manifested for Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 will return the Windows 8 OS version value (6.2). To manifest your applications for Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, refer to Targeting your application for Windows.

Identifying the current operating system is usually not the best way to determine whether a particular operating system feature is present. This is because the operating system may have had new features added in a redistributable DLL. Rather than using the Version API Helper functions to determine the operating system platform or version number, test for the presence of the feature itself.

To determine the best way to test for a feature, refer to the documentation for the feature of interest. The following list discusses some common techniques for feature detection:

• You can test for the presence of the functions associated with a feature. To test for the presence of a function in a system DLL, call the LoadLibrary function to load the DLL. Then call the GetProcAddress function to determine whether the function of interest is present in the DLL. Use the pointer returned by GetProcAddress to call the function. Note that even if the function is present, it may be a stub that just returns an error code such as ERROR_CALL_NOT_IMPLEMENTED.
• You can determine the presence of some features by using the GetSystemMetrics function. For example, you can detect multiple display monitors by calling GetSystemMetrics(SM_CMONITORS).
• There are several versions of the redistributable DLLs that implement shell and common control features. For information about determining which versions are present on the system your application is running on, see the topic Shell and Common Controls Versions.

If you must require a particular operating system, be sure to use it as a minimum supported version, rather than design the test for the one operating system. This way, your detection code will continue to work on future versions of Windows.

Note that a 32-bit application can detect whether it is running under WOW64 by calling the IsWow64Process function. It can obtain additional processor information by calling the GetNativeSystemInfo function.

Which version of Windows operating system am I running?

Find operating system info in Windows 10

To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Open box, and then select OK.

Here’s how to learn more:

Select the Start button > Settings > System > About .

Under Device specifications > System type, see if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Under Windows specifications, check which edition and version of Windows your device is running.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate in Windows 10.

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Find operating system info in Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1

To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Open box, and then select OK.

If your device is running Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, here’s how to learn more:

If you’re using a touch device, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. Continue to step 3.

If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.

Select PC and devices > PC info.

Under Windows you’ll see which edition and version of Windows your device is running.

Under PC > System type you’ll see if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Find operating system info in Windows 7

Select the Start button, type Computer in the search box, right-click on Computer, and then select Properties.

Under Windows edition, you’ll see the version and edition of Windows that your device is running.

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020

We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Windows Server release information

Microsoft has updated its servicing model. The Semi-Annual Channel is a twice-per-year feature update release with 18-month servicing timelines for each release. This page is designed to help you determine the end of support date for the Semi-Annual Channel releases.

The Semi-Annual Channel provides opportunity for customers who are innovating quickly to take advantage of new operating system capabilities at a faster pace, both in applications — particularly those built on containers and microservices. For more information see the Comparison of servicing channels. Customers also have the option to continue using the Long-Term Servicing Channel releases, which continue to be released every 2-3 years. Each Long-Term Servicing Channel release is supported for 5 years of mainstream support and 5 years of extended support.

Windows Server current versions by servicing option

Windows Server release	Version	OS Build	Availability	Mainstream support end date	Extended support end date
Windows Server, version 20H2 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core)	20H2	19042.508.200927-1902	10/20/2020	05/10/2022	Review note
Windows Server, version 2004 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core)	2004	19041.264.200508-2205	05/27/2020	12/14/2021	Review note
Windows Server, version 1909 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core)	1909	18363.418.191007-0143	11/12/2019	05/11/2021	Review note
Windows Server, version 1903 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core)	1903	18362.30.190401-1528	5/21/2019	12/08/2020	Review note
Windows Server 2019 (Long-Term Servicing Channel) (Datacenter, Essentials, Standard)	1809	17763.107.1010129-1455	11/13/2018	01/09/2024	01/09/2029
Windows Server, version 1809 (Semi-Annual Channel) (Datacenter Core, Standard Core)	1809	17763.107.1010129-1455	11/13/2018	11/10/2020	Review note
Windows Server 2016 (Long-Term Servicing Channel)	1607	14393.0	10/15/2016	01/11/2022	01/11/2027

End of service for Windows Server, version 1809 has been delayed due to the ongoing public health crisis. For more information, see our Support article.

Windows Server, version 1803 and later are governed by the Modern Lifecycle Policy. See the Windows Lifecycle FAQ and Comparison of servicing channels for details regarding servicing requirements and other important information.

Overview of Windows Server upgrades

The process of upgrading to a newer version of Windows Server can vary greatly, depending on which operating system you are starting with and the pathway you take. We use the following terms to distinguish between different actions, any of which could be involved in a new Windows Server deployment.

Upgrade. Also known as an «in-place upgrade». You move from an older version of the operating system to a newer version, while staying on the same physical hardware. This is the method we will be covering in this section.

In-place upgrades might also be supported by public or private cloud companies; however, you must check with your cloud provider for the details. Additionally, you’ll be unable to perform an in-place upgrade on any Windows Server configured to Boot from VHD. An In-Place Upgrade from Windows Storage Server Editions to Windows Server 2019 is not supported. You can perform either a Migration or Installation instead.

Installation. Also known as a «clean installation». You move from an older version of the operating system to a newer version, deleting the older operating system.

Migration. You move from an older version of the operating system to a newer version of the operating system, by transferring to a different set of hardware or virtual machine.

Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade. You upgrade the operating system of your cluster nodes without stopping the Hyper-V or the Scale-Out File Server workloads. This feature allows you to avoid downtime which could impact Service Level Agreements. For more information, see Cluster operating system rolling upgrade

License conversion. Convert a particular edition of the release to another edition of the same release in a single step with a simple command and the appropriate license key. We call this «license conversion». For example, if your server is running Windows Server 2016 Standard, you can convert it to Windows Server 2016 Datacenter.

Which version of Windows Server should I upgrade to?

We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Windows Server: Windows Server 2019. Running the latest version of Windows Server allows you to use the latest features – including the latest security features – and delivers the best performance.

However, we realize that’s not always possible. You can use the following diagram to figure out which Windows Server version you can upgrade to, based on the version you’re currently on:

Windows Server can typically be upgraded through at least one, and sometimes even two, versions. For example, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016 can both be upgraded in-place to Windows Server 2019.

You can also upgrade from an evaluation version of the operating system to a retail version, from an older retail version to a newer version, or, in some cases, from a volume-licensed edition of the operating system to an ordinary retail edition. For more information about upgrade options other than in-place upgrade, see Upgrade and conversion options for Windows Server.

Which version of Windows operating system am I running?

Find operating system info in Windows 10

To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Open box, and then select OK.

Here’s how to learn more:

Select the Start button > Settings > System > About .

Under Device specifications > System type, see if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Under Windows specifications, check which edition and version of Windows your device is running.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate in Windows 10.

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Find operating system info in Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1

To find out which version of Windows your device is running, press the Windows logo key + R, type winver in the Open box, and then select OK.

If your device is running Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1, here’s how to learn more:

If you’re using a touch device, swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. Continue to step 3.

If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.

Select PC and devices > PC info.

Under Windows you’ll see which edition and version of Windows your device is running.

Under PC > System type you’ll see if you’re running a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.

Find operating system info in Windows 7

Select the Start button, type Computer in the search box, right-click on Computer, and then select Properties.

Under Windows edition, you’ll see the version and edition of Windows that your device is running.

Support for Windows 7 ended on January 14, 2020

We recommend you move to a Windows 10 PC to continue to receive security updates from Microsoft.

Related links

If you’re having a problem with activation, see Activate Windows 7 or Windows 8.1.

If you forgot the password you use to sign in to Windows devices or email, see How to reset your Microsoft password.

For info about updating Windows, see Windows Update: FAQ.